Improvement in construction of foundations for light-houses, piers



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS BAIL, OF NEV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN CONSTRUCTION 0F FOUNDATIONS FOR LIGHT-HOUSES, Pil-IRS,l&c.

Specification forming part of Letters 'Patent No. 34,474, datedFebruary25, 1662.

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS BAIL, of New Haven, in the county of New Havenand State of Connecticut, have invented anew and useful improvementinthe construction of foundations forlight-houses and other structureswhich are tobebuilton sand or on sand-beaches washed by the ocean, theinvention also being applicable to the construction of cofferdams usedin the construction of the foundations of piers and abutments beneaththe water-surface; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, makingapart of this specification, in which-Figure l is a detached perspective view of one of the segment-platespertaining to my invention; Figs. 2 and 3, verticalI sections of myinvention, taken on the line cc, Fig. 6; Fig. 4, a detached perspectiveview of one of the segment-plates shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a plan or topview of my invention; Fig. 6, a vertical section of the same, taken inthe line y y, Fig. 5 g Fig. 7, a perspective sectional view of the samewith coffer-dam; Fig. 8, a top or plan view of coer-dam; Fig. 9, anelevation of a light-house constructed according to my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

This invention consists in the employment or use of cast-iron plates ofsegment form provided at their concave side with flanges to admit of theinsertion of bolts to secure the plates together, and thereby form astrong metal cylinder, which, while in the coursegof construction, isgradually filled with concrete or other suitable material.

The object of the invention is to obtain a ready means wherebyfoundations for lighthouses and other structures, as well as coerdams,may be built of a -material previously prepared, and which may beconveniently transported and expeditiously put together to form thefoundation or structure suitable for sandy foundations.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and constructmyinvention, Iwill proceed to describe it.

A represents segment-plates of cast-iron, which are cast with flangesauf at their inner concave sides, the top and bottom flanges aprojectinghorizontally from the edges of the plates, while the anges aat the ends of the plate proj ect obliquely from. the plate formingradii with the cylinder, which is formed by the connecting of theseveral plates together. These flanges a a are clearly shown in Figs. land 4, and it will be seen by referring to these figures that theflanges are provided with bolt-holes b. The segmentplates A may begalvanized or covered with a coat of pitch-tar or other suitablesubstance to prevent oxidation. The plates A are laid in tiers one overthe other and secured together by screw-bolts o, Water-proofcement,leather, or india-rubber strips being placed between the joints toprevent leakage. In constructing, for instance, a foundation for alight-house Where a @offer-dam is required, the first tier of plates forthe latter are laid on the beach, which is dry at low water. Thiscoffer-dam, (designated by A', Figs. 7 and 8,) beingonly a temporarystructure, may be comparatively light, and when sunk to the usual depthits interior is kept dry by means of a suitable pump. The foundation isthen commenced by laying the lower tier of plates A, which have sharplower edges d, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This lower tier of plates maybe thicker or heavier than the upper ones when several tiers are securedtogether. The hollow cylinder thus formed will gradually sink by its owngravity and the sand is removed from within the cylinder. Thisexcavating or removing of the sand can be done by Inanual labor assistedby a common suction-pump, or by a centrifugal pump or other means. Asthe excavating proceeds the progress of building the foundationcontinues, the structure gradually sinking under the accumulatingweight, and in order to keep the structure vertical the excavating isperformed at` 111e most elevated side, so as to favor the settling ofthe structure at that point, and in this way, by the aid of a plumblineonly, the foundation may be kept perfectly vertical.

If necessary, iron bars may be placed Within the cylinder to serve asbraces, thel ends of said bars resting on the flanges a. These flangesa. also serve as supports for scaffolding for the Workmen.

Vhen the cylinder has reachedafirmfoundation and is sufficiently highabove the surface of the beach, it is filled in with concrete or withstone. When these cannot be conveniently had, layers of sand and ironbottoms vmay be alternately laid up to the surface of the cylinder. Theiron bottoms may also be laid with the concrete when the latter is used.I do not, however, confine myself to any particular material or mannerof lling in the cylinder.

In certain cases where materials are not at hand or in the Vicinity ofthe locality of the structure to be erected the whole edifice may beconstructed of the segment-plates.I This would be advantageous in theconstruction recess f, as shown in Figs. V3 and 4, so that when theplates are connected` together the recesses f of one row or tier ofplates may receive the lips e of the row or tier immediatelyabove it.This may render the connection of the plates rather more secure than itotherwise would be.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is*

Constructing the foundations and other portions of light-houses,Cotter-dams, and other similar structures of cast-iron segment-plates A,provided at the inn er or concave sides with anges a a to receivescrew-bolts c, for the purpose of securingthe plates together to for-m acylinder, and then lling the cylinder with concrete, stone, or othersuitable material,

substantially as set forth. y

Louis BAIL. Witnesses:

J oHN D. CANDEE, E. I. SANFORD.

